High Winds Topple the White House National Christmas Tree
December is just around the corner, holiday lights are flickering to life around every block, and for better or worse, Christmas music has taken over the airwaves once again. The Yuletide spirit is in the air, and tomorrow, the White House is set to join millions of other homes across the country with the lighting of the annual White House Christmas Tree.
However, Mother Nature has added an extra hurdle against a smooth start to the holiday season in Washington DC. After high winds hit the nation's capital November 28, the White House Christmas Tree was toppled over!
Well, that's not a promising start. NBC Washington captured a rather depressing tableau as the soon-to-be lit White House Christmas Tree lay in a slump on the Ellipse Lawn. A high gust of wind had downed the towering conifer, leaving it in shambles as tree crews attempted to upright it.
The tumble's timing couldn't have been worse. The National Tree Lighting Ceremony was scheduled to happen tomorrow evening, officially debuting the tree decorated with handcrafted ornaments from all 50 states. As of yesterday evening, the National Park Service claimed that they were evaluating the Christmas tree, looking into "all possibilities to ensure a successful event this year."
As cheekily alluded to by the NBC reporters, it's a bad time to be a White House Christmas Tree. The one which was planted two years ago recently had to be cut down due to developing a fungal disease. Hopefully 2023's tree will fare a bit better, though. As of 6 pm last night, CBS News reports that the tree is back upright. It looks like the show will still go on- as long as Washington DC doesn't get hit with another windy night!
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